Infiltrator

Reviewing and studying the book “Korr-e Kermashan” by Masoumeh Jawaheri

Javad Kamvar Bakhshayesh
Translated by Mohammad Baqer Khoshnevisan

2016-1-11

One of the most mysterious periods of the Islamic Republic system was that of confronting this newly-established system with the hypocrites and anti-revolutionary groups which had grown like mushrooms in different parts of the country and committed many crimes. At the same time, due to its strategic situation, the area of Kurdistan more than any other place had become a proper area for the outfits and elements which had taken up their arms to topple the system. These groups which had no base among the people, backed by the west and their unreal blatant propaganda and consequently through attracting a number of simple young people in the towns and villages, infiltrated the heart of mountains and plains of the area, committing many crimes. They mercilessly killed the innocent people who were hindering to achieve their goals. Perhaps, their most savage actions were the beheading of the troops which had created panic among the people, and part of the energy of the system had been spent to confront these grouplets. Among these groups and parties, the two Democrat and Komoleh parties were the ones which had appeared with more power through the support of western countries and the Iraqi Ba’ath regime. Their aim was to separate Kurdistan from Iran and to topple the Islamic Republic system through being deployed in different parts of the region. The two parties damaged widely to the infrastructures, installations, centers and towns and villages of the Kurdistan region, martyred a large number of the ordinary and young people of this country and harmed the security and calmness.

How to confront these parties and grouplets and to infiltrate their establishment and structure was one of the most significant concerns of the military institutions of that time. Amid this, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) played a significant role in confronting these parties and grouplets. The unknown soldiers of this institution who were more active in the section of intelligence and security with high morale could recognize the main elements of these parties, and consequently destroy their structures through carrying out different operations. However, during these operations, many of these unknown soldiers were martyred; the unknown soldiers who brought about “calm and security” for the Islamic system and the people by shedding their blood and rightly dubbed as “The heavenly eyes of the Islamic revolution”.

The necessity of introducing these beloved martyrs to the community as valuable examples which should be followed by serious investigation and research led to establishment of an association named the “Sepas Veterans Association”. During its activity, the association has tried to introduce to the community the biography the martyrs of the country’s intelligence and security who have lived anonymously and have still remained anonymously in the form of story. In its latest action, the association has released the book “Korr-e Kermashan” in which the story life of martyr Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh has been narrated.

The life and martyrdom story of Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh is one of the most astounding events of the time of fighting with Democrat Party, one of the toughest and harshest parties against the system. Perhaps, if the story was handed to Hollywood, certainly one of the most lasting movies of the world was produced not on the basis of a story but on the objective reality of the life of Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh. The life of this man is so amazing that even hearing it would be breathtaking. He was a member of the intelligence and security section of IRGC who infiltrated the depth of the establishment of Democrat Party upon the order of his senior commanders, and with high proficiency and patience, attracted the trust of the Democrat members so much that he rose to one of the higher military ranks of the party during his nine-month infiltration, but …

“Korr-e Kermashan” has been collected on the basis of oral history and then compiled by Masoumeh Jawaheri in the genre of fiction. The proficiency of the writer has highly contributed to the attraction of the story. In most parts of the book, Jawaheri takes the reader with on-time and right flashbacks to the depth of the dormant memoirs of Rezaee Zangeneh from childhood and teenage times and then immediately drags the mind of her reader to the continuation of Rzaee’s life which is the time of his infiltration in Democrat Party or his arrest by the IRGC.

The life story of Rezaee Zangeneh starts in Korr-e Kermashan with being exposed during the battle between the Democrat Party forces and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s army. Misrepresenting himself as a proficient force in the party, Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh rose to higher ranks of the party and was appointed the commander of fighting with the tanks of Islamic Republic of Iran’s army. At the same time, none of the members of the party hesitated in his skill in firing mortars and his careful aiming. But now he had been put in a situation that he had to destroy the tanks of Islamic Republic of Iran’s army and from his view, this was not possible.

It was a sensitive situation. He had been caught up in a dilemma. Either he had to pretend that he had stood in the way of the party’s ideals until the last drop of his blood or to destroy the tanks forcibly, or to confess that he had been an infiltrator and that his presence at the heart of the Democrat Party had been preplanned by IRGC intelligence and security members. Manoucher was ordered to fire at the tanks. He made a strange decision in this dilemma. He says, “When the tanks reached the gate of the city, the sun had risen. The army was deployed in Boukan-Baneh two-way. The sound of the soldiers’ boots was heard from far. When the tanks started moving, the movement of the unit was lost among the sound of the tanks’ chains. Sediq was continuously looking at me. I took up the RPG7, sitting the right side of the river exactly down the bridge. I was listening very carefully. The more the tanks were approaching, the more my heart was beating. I felt the cold body of RPG7. I pressed my hand and closed my eyes, but my ears were looking for the sound of the tanks’ chains. Sediq shouted:

• Watch out boy…

I touched the trigger for the second time. I was feeling the heavy looks of Sediq. I failed this time too, and fell down right alongside the tanks… I triggered for the third time. I was looking at the first tank which was approaching to the end of the bridge. I waited for a few minutes and pressed my hand tightly. I had not still opened my eyes that I saw he had stood in front of me. His angry face had become red, shouting loudly:

• What did you do Manoucher?
• Nothing. It is no use whatever I fire.

He pushed me away and said:

• I know what to do with you.

He took up his own RPG7 and went forward. The sound of the mortars were heard loudly.

The clash soared. The tanks broke the obstacles and entered the city. A breathtaking war broke out. I knew very well that the next morning I would be tried in the court. I distanced from the guys gradually, moving toward a mountain. When the bridge was targeted, I started running fast. I moved toward the city from the wrong ways.

The way was familiar with me. I could still find the trace of the hard days of entering the Democrat Party from the frozen snows of the mountains. I had been questioned many days in order to prove my honesty. Many nights, I was remembering the echo of my mother’s voice who was reading for me stories with her sweet Kurdish accent so that not to sleep while guarding. So I had to get away from the fight as far as possible. When the sun was in the middle of the sky, I could no longer move. I took several deep breaths. A small spring was shining from inside the stones. I drank some water greedily from the spring. After praying, I started moving again. The weather was getting dark and the sound of the wolves’ howling was echoed in the mountains. The sound of my steps echoed in the mountain as if someone was walking shoulder to shoulder with me. Every now and then, I stopped and took a look at my behind. Suddenly, I was confused. I was not able to walk anymore and sat down. There was no opportunity for relaxation. I had to reach myself to the city before the darkness.

Finally, I saw the lights of the Naqadeh town from far and started smiling and became hopeful.

Checkpoints had been installed before the entrance of all cities since several months earlier when the Kurdistan’s IRGC had been set up. So, I had to hide myself among the cliffs until it was getting dark in order not to be arrested. The seconds were spending hard. I was floating in the space like a bubble and thinking of the unknown way waiting for me. I knew very well that there was no hope of returning. I was whispering with my mother. I had no news of her for more than a month. When the weather got dark, I started moving. I decided to go to Nasoo Public Bath, the same usual rendezvous. I had to go to the downtown to get the latest news. The only one who could help me was Ramazan who worked in the bath. I got up half-raised, crawling toward the city from inside the bushes. A tall shade stood behind me. As I was nailed, his hand went up and I heard the voice of Sediq. A blow with his gun made me sleep.”

In order to get rid of the democrats, Manoucher started running toward one the area’s garrisons in order to take refuge. He walked for a long time, waiting for a good opportunity to pass a checkpoint by using the darkness but he was arrested on his way by one of the garrison’s troops.

The story of his presence in the garrison and how he was arrested and tortured by IRGC members has been narrated in the second chapter titled “Nirgess”. While expressing happiness for arresting one of the ringleaders of the Democrat Party, the troops deployed in the garrison tried to provide hard conditions for him. The interrogation started and in response to their questions, Manouchehr repeated continuously the phrase “it’s been mistaken”, asking them to meet with the commander of the garrison. The guards suspected his behavior more. “It is right. It is mistaken. You have come to the garrison with the ID of the Democrat Party and this clothe and mistaken colt! You should have lounged in your crypt now; planning to behead us … you’re right, it’s been mistaken.” Then they started beating and imprisoned him in a barn.

In his loneliness in the prison, Rezaee was thinking continuously of the past and by remembering his father and mother and past life, he introduces himself more to the reader.

When the party’s members were informed that Manoucher had escaped and taken refuge in the garrison, they immediately attacked there and an intense clash started. During the clash, Manoucher was trying to understand what was going on outside from the hole of the barn in which he was imprisoned but to no avail.

The second chapter finishes when Manoucher found out that the garrison had been attacked by the Democrats.

The third chapter titled “Hoopoe Flight” still narrates Manouchehr’s presence in the garrison, but the reader who is looking for the writer’s skillful flashbacks is informed of how he was infiltrated inside the establishment of the Democrat Party following a plan by Mohammad Boroujerdi and Hedayatollah Lotfian. The main mission of Manouchehr and the difficulties of the mission and how he entered the party has been presented in this chapter clearly. The chapter ends with the saying goodbye of Manouchehr with one of his best friends, Ibrahim who was also his confidant.

In the fourth chapter, Manouchehr was still imprisoned in the garrison and tortured continuously. He repeatedly insisted on allowing him to call but they did not. On one hand he was duty-bound to keep the secret of his infiltration, and on the other hand fearing from calling the party, the troops deployed in the garrison did not give him a phone. Unknown of the original story, the Democrat party was trying to rescue Manouchehr at any possible means. They even sent a message that they were ready to swap him with several arrested troops.

But his destiny was happening in a different way. He was tried in the court and sentenced to death.

The judge in his verdict says: “In view of the oppressive and illegitimate actions and assaulting on the rights of the oppressed people of Kurdistan by the usurper and bloodthirsty of the Democrat Party during the past one year and spread of unrest and turmoil in the area, and in view of the existing documents in the file of Mr. Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh regarding his significant activity in this party and his higher rank, on the order of Imam Khomeini concerning serious confrontation with the atheist and saboteur members of Komoleh and Democrat parties which have created discomfort for the people of the region, he has been sentenced to death.”

This part of the book is really breathtaking. Manouchehr was supposed to be executed the next morning in the town’s square. And in his internal conflict with the events, Manouchehr took refuge to his past. The past which shapes the next chapter of the book titled “Motherly Magic” in which he talks to his father and mother. The important and effective point of this chapter is Manouchehr’s narration of his entrance to the highest levels of the Democrat Party and meeting with Qassemlou and the leaders of the party. In part of this chapter, the writer describes very well the meeting of the party’s leaders and the decisions made in it.  

On the morning of execution, one hour remained to it, Manouchehr was brought out from the barn in order to be taken to the place of execution. Manouchehr’s guard who felt sorry for him, decided to do something for him in the last moments of his life. Thus by putting a phone in front of him, he asked him to contact with his family and inform them of the execution and to will if any. Manouchehr incredibly picked up the receiver, dialing the headquarters of Mohmmad Boroujerdi and Lotfian, explaining them the story. Less than one hour later, a few minutes before the execution, Mohammad Boroujerdi arrived in the garrison and saved Manouchehr.

It seems that if we divide the life story of Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh into two parts, the first one came to an end here. Manouchehr was taken and a number of garrison’s servicemen were chastised.

The second part of the life of martyr Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh starts from the end of his mission in Democrat Party and after being released from the predicament of execution, he had joined again the IRGC, but since nobody knew about his secret mission, everybody looked at him with distrust, and tolerance of such situation was very painful for him. He says, “I was exempted for the continuation of the mission upon the order of Mr. Hedayat and discretion of the commanders and came back to the IRGC garrison; a return bitter than entering the party. My friends treated with me with distrust, welcoming me with a cold greeting. My return to the garrison was so amazing that even my closest friends faced me with fear. Sometimes, Akbar and Ibrahim supported me and engaged with them. But I knew they were right. Everybody had built a demon from me for some one year the braking of which needed one more year. I spent loneliness in Sannandaj with the hope of returning to Kermanshah but I could just tolerate loneliness in Kermanshah just with the hope of the God Almighty’s smile.”

With all this, the Democrat Party was openly trying to assassinate Manouchehr or dragged himself into itself through threats. Disregarding the situation, Manouchehr was seriously involved in IRGC and a while later, was appointed as the IRGC commander in Saqez.

His activities as the commander of IRGC in Saqez has been reflected in the fifth chapter entitled “Delovan”. In this period, he did his best to restore calm to the town, organizing its affairs. But he was continuously threatened by the Democrat Party. “The more Manouchehr was going forward, the more he faced with the anger and hatred of the Democrats. It started with the promise of arranging a family life in Europe, but with Manouchehr bold actions, they lost hope for his return. Then they resorted to threat, fixing a 200,000-toman reward for his head. With the release of this news, fear and horror for losing Manouchehr increased.”

After being disappointed from threatening Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh, the Democrat Party decided to martyr him. Thus the file of the life of Manouchehr  Rezaee Zangeneh was closed. How he was martyred has been reflected in the last chapter of the book entitled “Blind Life”.

“Korr-e Kermashan” is the result of three years of effort by the team of research for collecting information about the life of martyr Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh and the conducting of 35 hours of interview with the relatives, close friends and the comrades of this respected martyr. Although the interviews were advanced slowly, its achievements have increased the book’s richness.

“Korr-e Kermashan” is the 21^st work from the collection “The Heavenly Eyes of Islamic Revolution” which has been released by Sepas Veterans Association in 132 pages. During the narration of dialogues and for more identification, the writer uses the Kurdish language, the mother language of Manouchehr, ending the book with “motherly whisper” of his mother. The final part of the book has been allocated to the martyr’s biography.

Martyr Manouchehr Rezaee Zangeneh was born on May 19, 1959 in Kermanshah. He graduated from high school in the same city. While studying, he was working in the grocery store of his father and before the victory of the Islamic revolution, became a member of a task force for campaign against the Shah’s regime.

After the victory of the Islamic revolution, he joined the IRGC in 1979, cooperating with martyr Mohammad Boroujerdi. After a while, on the order and guidance of martyr Boroujerdi, Manouchehr infiltrated the establishment of the anti-revolutionaries (Kurdistan’s Democrat Party) and advanced so far who was appointed as the commander of the party’s brigades.

The presence of Rezaee in the higher ranks of the party caused the IRGC to obtain valuable information from the anti-revolutionary establishment, dealing heavy blows on the body of the anti-revolution. After several months of presence in the Democrat Party, he was arrested by the IRGC and after a contact from the headquarters, was freed.

He was appointed as the IRGC commander in Saqez in 1980, and arrested a large number of the leaders of the Democrat Party.

Finally, Rezaee was ambushed by the forces of Democrat Party on 20^th October of 1980 concurrent with Eid-al Adha and attained martyrdom.